This invention relates to computer software for managing maintenance work in an industrial facility and more particularly to integrating two software systems to optimize resource management.
It is important, particularly in large scale industrial facilities, to properly and timely coordinate workers, equipment and materials to complete repairs and to complete preventive maintenance programs. Discrepancies in the allocation of these resources can result in significant equipment downtime and increased labor costs.
Software is available which is useful for establishing job plans and work plans. One such job planning software package is known as MAXIMO(copyright), a program developed and available from PSDI, Inc. This program assists a user in developing the actual work orders which will be issued to a crew.
Another software program available which is useful in resource planning is a job standards program used to create, maintain and manipulate standards for maintenance work, that is detailing the steps to be taken and manhours/trades needed to complete a task, allowing a user to construct new standards using information retained in a database. For example AutoMOST(trademark), available from H.B. Maynard and Company, Inc. performs this function.
These software programs are distinct. Information used in or generated by one program is not available for use in the other program. Thus, a user typically enters information into the job planning program to prepare work orders, without access to and comparison with the job standards program.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an integration program which integrates a job planning program with a standards development program to allow a user to use such standards to build a complete job plan.
It is another object to provide an integration program which enables a user to toggle between a job planning program and a standards development program to enable the user to generate an optimum work plan.
It is yet another object to reduce data entry by allowing data entered in one program to be integrated into the databases accessible by each program.
It is yet another object to optimize resource allocation by producing job plans which integrate standards based on a logic tree coordinated with data accumulated over time, and to provide a means for updating standards based on actual time, manpower, tools and materials used to complete a task.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a computer integration system for maintenance resource management comprising:
a computer;
a first software program for producing job standards based on predetermined user queries and information contained in a first database, the first software program being accessible by the computer;
a second software program for producing a job plan and work orders based on information supplied by the user, the second software program being accessible by the computer; and
an integration software program accessible by the computer, the integration software program having a switch responsive to a user command initiated from either the first or second software program to switch the user to the second or first software program respectively, and having means for supplying data from one software program to the other software program for filling predefined fields such that the user can generate a job standard in the first software program and transfer the developed job standard into a job plan saved in the second software program.
The inventive integration software package preferably utilizes the MAXIMO job planning program as the second software program, providing instructions for accessing preferably the AutoMOST program, which acts as the first software program, allowing a user to develop the specific job operation steps using the job standards program and transferring this as a complete job plan or as information for loading into the appropriate fields in the MAXIMO program. The MAXIMO program then saves the job plan or completes the job plan for use in generating work orders.
Utilizing the present invention, a user can use historical data and multi-activity analysis to identify the steps needed to complete a new job plan or use existing operation/suboperation job standards and integrate that data directly into the job plan. This substantially reduces the time needed to estimate the time, tools, material and labor needed to complete a job and optimizes resource utilization by developing a job plan based on job standards. Further, utilizing the capabilities of the job standards program increases the ability to accurately plan for manhour allocation, and material utilization, avoiding errors or omissions that can result in a poor plan that disrupts the overall manpower resource allocation.